1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to pneumatic playballs in which an inflated bladder is confined within an outer casing, and more particularly to a playball of this type which has the appearance of the decapitated head of a humanoid, an animal-like or fanciful figure.
2. Status of Prior Art
Though small children are attracted to conventional athletic balls and enjoy watching adults play soccer and other ball games, in the hands of a small child these balls are heavy and dangerous, especially in indoor play. The standard inflated athletic ball has a relatively large diameter and a smooth, hard outer casing which makes it difficult for a small child to grasp, throw and catch.
The toy and game industry has long recognized the need for a lighter, softer and potentially less dangerous ball for young children. Thus, balls in various shapes and sizes are now commercially available which are molded of polyurethane foam material and other lightweight compressible plastics. While such balls are safe in the hands of pre-school children and will inflict no injury even if the ball is hurled toward the body of another child, they fail in many respects to satisfy the typical child's desire for a ball that looks like a real athletic ball of the type used by adults, that is bouncy and not an unconvincing substitute for a regulation ball.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,426 to Spector discloses a pneumatic playball that has the configuration and appearance of a standard pneumatic athletic ball, such as a regulation basketball. Yet the Spector ball is much lighter and therefore in the hands of young children is safer to play with, especially in indoor play. Despite its light weight, the ball is exceptionally strong. And when not in use, the Spector ball may be collapsed into a highly compact form.
The Spector ball is constituted by an outer casing and an inner inflatable bladder confined within the casing. The outer casing is formed by contoured segments of high strength, non-stretchable fabric material stitched together to create, when the casing is fully expanded, a play ball of the desired shape and size, such as a football or soccer ball. The inner bladder is a conventional thin-skin rubber balloon whose stem initially projects through a port in the casing.
After the balloon is inflated with air so that it conforms to the casing, the stem is then tied into a knot to seal the balloon, and the tied stem is pushed into the casing under the port. Because the balloon is fully encased, no portion thereof can be extruded from the casing when the ball is bounced and the internal pressure within the balloon is increased.
An unconfined rubber balloon has little strength and is easily burst. But when the inflated balloon is confined within a non-stretchable fabric casing, even though the balloon, per se, is inherently weak, because the casing does not permit any region of the balloon to further expand beyond its existing degree of expansion, the balloon will not burst even if a heavy adult sits on the ball or the ball is given a hard kick.
The bounce characteristics of a pneumatic ball is a function of its internal air pressure. Thus in a standard tennis ball, when the internal air pressure is reduced as a result of gradual air leakage, the ball becomes "dead" and then has insufficient bounce for the game.
The reason the Spector ball has high bounce characteristics is that its internal air pressure is much higher than in a conventional beach ball made of a non-stretchable plastic film. A conventional beach ball offers little resistance to expansion until fully inflated, at which point, since the material is non-stretchable, it cannot be further inflated. But with a stretchable rubber balloon, it takes much more air pressure to stretch the rubber from its initial state to its stretched and fully inflated state, as a consequence of which the internal air pressure of the balloon in the Spector ball is much higher than in a conventional beach ball.
The term "kick" has either a literal or figurative meaning and in some instances the two meanings are merged. Thus when a ball is kicked, it is literally struck, for the kicker's foot then makes contact with the ball. But if you kick someone around, you are then treating him badly, not actually striking him. Thus President Nixon is remembered for his remark to the press that they would not have him around to kick anymore.
When however one kicks someone who is down, this combines a physical act with a deliberate insult, for the individual who is down is unable to retaliate and the act of kicking him is an expression of contempt.
Perhaps the earliest example of a kick that is both a physical act and an insult is in the soccer game invented by the Inca Indians of South America who used as a soccer ball a skull separated from an eneny's body. A player in kicking this skull, thereby insulted the spirit of the enemy.
In the course of history, decapitated heads had served as symbols. Thus in the Middle Ages it was the tradition to put on display the decapitated heads of executed criminals, this serving as a public warning. And in ancient Rome, Roman soldiers in a victory parade would carry decapitated enemy heads on poles.
The present invention which provides a pneumatic play ball that resembles a decapitated head, constitutes what is referred to in the toy and plaything trade as a "gross" toy. A gross toy, by its very nature, is one that adults may find disgusting. Yet a gross toy is appealing to children for perhaps the same reason that children enjoy "Horror" movies repugnant to adults. Thus currently on the toy market are play balls having a transparent casing enclosing a plastic core molded to resemble a human intestine or brain.
Also currently available in the toy and plaything market are so-called "overhead masks." These take the form of rubber or plastic hoods with eye and mouth holes that are designed to go over the head of an individual and to resemble the head of a monster or other gruesome figure. Halloween overhead masks of this type often resemble human skulls.